Futures Ready!

Futures Ready! A Transition Curriculum for Emerging Adults ages 14-26

The Futures Ready Curriculum is designed to:

• Improve transition preparedness and outcones of youth/young adults ages 14-26 who struggle with serious emotional disturbances and or co-occuring disabilities;
• Engage young adults, families, school staff and/or child serving agencies in an interactive exchange and sharing of resource;
• Bridge the gaps between child and adlt serving systems in a supported process that guides youth and young adults throung the transition;
• Develop skills guided by the values of System of Care;

            and

• Address the fragmentationof services as young adults transitionfrom child to adult mental health services.

Gail Cormier: As Executive Director of NC Families United, a non profit specializing in supporting families and children struggling with mental health issues. NC Families United supports and unites the voices of children, youth, and families with mental health concerns to educate, support and advocate for improved services and lives. We live at UNCG/CYFCP CEO and Co-founder of a nonprofit corporation in NH associated with UNH. ACS supports the education, social, emotional needs of youth with mental health issues as they struggle through the transition into adulthood. Over saw and co developed nationally recognized transition program RENEW, state Co-Director of the PBIS High school DROP OUT PREVENTION grant from DOE, Directed the National winner of the Youth Leadership Series for youth with disabilities. Co- authored many book chapters, professional journal articles and TIME magazine stories. Key note speaker for national conferences for at-risk youth. Presenter and trainer for many national conferences on PBS, At-Risk youth, Transition aged youth, and Systems of Care.

 Damie Jackson-Diop is the Youth Transition Program Director with North Carolina Families United. She is disability-experienced and a family member of individuals with developmental disabilities and mental wellness issues. In 2008, she completed an educational program designed to improve Educational Leadership in Higher Education for students with disabilities. In addition to developing the Futures Ready curriculum on transition, she provides oversight to the planning and implementation of the Annual Youth Leadership Development Program, develops networks that support youth (14-26) who are struggling with mental illness or who have co-occurring disabilities, and mentors eight young adults at a time to help facilitate a more comprehensive transition into adulthood. She continues to volunteer for Guilford County Schools as a Surrogate Parent and is a member of the North Carolina Collaborative for Children, Youth and Families –Youth in Transition in Raleigh, NC.

For more information please call Debra Duncan at 919-560-7532.